Reds Notes: Baker, Rolen, Jocketty

Earlier today, we learned that Reds General Manager Walt Jocketty was set to meet with manager Dusty Baker to offer him a short-term contract. For his part, the 63-year-old has said that he is definitely looking to continue his managerial career. Here's more on Baker and other news out of Cincy..

Jocketty wouldn't confirm whether he offered the veteran skipper a contract when they met, but he seems confident that there will be some news on that front on Monday or Tuesday, writes John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The GM added that the contracts of the team's coaches will be addressed after Baker's situation is taken care of, but he also said yesterday that they are all expected to return.

Meanwhile, Jocketty has also heard the reports of Scott Rolenplanning to retire, but he isn't so sure that will be the case, Fay writes. “He hasn’t told us that,” Jocketty said. “I’ve talked to him. I don’t think he knows what he wants to do.” If Rolen wants to continue playing, the GM said that the Reds would be interested in having him back in some capacity.

A baseball source familiar with the Baker situation told Mark Sheldon of MLB.com that the forecast was "optimistic" that Baker and his staff would be back.

Rolen right handed bat off the bench, plays once a week, or coaches for the reds in some way. Frazier needs to be the every day 3b. Hopefully Baker is smart and declines the offer and goes elsewhere. Please.

Bryan LaHair and Scott Rolen platoon for Cubs at 3rd. LaHair….I still
think he can be very useful for the Cubs in a part to full time role.
The Cubs might have a year or two stop-gap for third base right under
their noses, in Bryan LaHair. Sure, LaHair is not experienced at the hot
corner, by why not show him how to play there in winter ball? And, if
not 3rd base (which I personally love the idea of him playing 3rd)…why
not left field, if Soriano gets dealt this winter? LaHair is still only
29. I like him playing in a solid platoon at some position against
righties. LaHair has too much doubles and homer power to make him a
bench
guy, or to trade him. If nothing else, sign Scott Rolen to bat against
lefties and to mentor LaHair for third base. That would be a good story,
and could work out pretty good.

I think the Dusty did a fine job of managing the Reds to the division crown and just instilling a sense of comfort in the locker room. I don’t know if the Reds will be as good as they were this year especially if some of the other teams in the division develop somewhat significantly but I like Dusty as a manager and a leader.

The NL central was weak this year. No Prince No Albert No Carpenter. Anyone could have managed this team. Plug in your starting 5 rotation for 161 games, submit a lineup card with the two worst OBP guys in the 1, 2 holes sit back and win any how. I’ll take a new manager please.

Baker won two division titles and 267 games in three years for Cincinnati, the best run the franchise has seen since Sparky Anderson managed the 1975-1977 Reds. I am certain that I speak for all Reds fans when I say this is unacceptable, and that the team needs to move on from Baker in favor of a proven winner like Jim Riggleman or Bobby Valentine.

Personally I don’t blame Baker for the Reds losing the playoffs. Rolen’s error at the end of the game and Phillips going to far to get to 3rd and get out are the two biggest things that made the team lose. Oh and Rolen had several poor throws to Votto too. These are the biggest reasons why the Reds didn’t move forward.

Three in the Hall (Bench, Morgan, Perez), and Rose would obviously be four if not for the ban. Arguably the best catcher and second baseman in the whole history of baseball on those teams. George Foster was a five-time All-Star and the 1977 NL MVP, led the NL in homers twice in a row and in RBI three straight seasons. And he was still just the *fifth* best position player for the Big Red Machine. Between Bench, Rose, Morgan and Foster, Sparky Anderson managed the league MVP six times in eight seasons.
Fun fact: This year’s wins above replacement leader in the NL was Buster Posey, with a 7.2 WAR. For the five seasons from 1972-1976, Joe Morgan averaged a 9.4 WAR. That was his *average* season, for five freaking years.
The hardest part of Sparky’s job as Reds’ skipper was making sure he didn’t drive his car into a ditch on the way to the stadium.

At least they made the PO.. I can name 2 teams that had 4 prime HOF players and didn’t even make the PO.. 1977 Red Sox (Yaz, Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice, Fergie Jenkins) and the 1978 Red Sox also had 4 in Yaz, Fisk, Rice and Dennis Eckersley at that time a SP who won 20G.

Inept decisions by a manager (like Baker made) named Don Zimmer prevented 2 teams that went 97-64 (77) and 99-64 (78) from making the post season.

All the talent in the world on a team can not allow them to overcome that hurdle. It took a dozen years for teams to cease hiring Zimmer as a manager, figuring out finally he had -0- clue how to properly use a pitching staff the right way, yet teams continue to hire Dusty Baker.. Time after time and only after his numerous warts are shown on primetime TV, for the National audience to see are calls made for his head.

No fear.. Some reason another team always comes looking at this guy.. He should have been shoved into the “do not touch” bin years ago…

Basic managerial decisions do not change with payroll, unless perhaps “massaging the ego” of some over rated (and over paid) player sometimes these last couple of decades as payrolls have increased by allowing them to stay in the lineup longer than they should have, only because of pressure of that high salary and possibly the player.

Payroll means nothing when it comes to making intelligent, basic decisions of when it is time to properly insert a RP, not leave your pen short, allow for most possible outcomes by thinking ahead as much as possible.

My point was most of the better managers find a way to get over that “hump” and get to the ultimate destination.. At least a WS “showing” on occasion when they are allowed to run a team with as much talent as Baker has been given on numerous occasions over the last 20 years. Nothing different with Zimmer.. he was given the most potent lineup of the 70’s 2 years running with 3 solid SP, yet failed miserably 2 years straight.. Flaws (basic) that were exposed in crucial games vs opponents in games across the diamond by his key opponents in Earl Weaver and Billy Martin who flat out were much smarter and knew how he would act, then react.

Cincy can hold onto Baker and continue this farce.. Maybe even win another NL Central crown, but I seriously doubt they will make it to a WS, unless they are accorded numerous breaks on the diamond that the opposing manager just didn’t forsee.